Triple Victory for SCOTT-SRAM | Cape Epic - Stage 4
The Cross Country specialists of SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing have swept today's podiums at the Absa Cape Epic, the World's toughest multiple day mountain bike stage race. Andri Frischknecht together with partner Michiel van der Heijden, have won the 4th stage ahead of team mates Matthias Stirnemann and Olympic Champion Nino Schurter. The SCOTT-SRAM's Young Guns, Schurter's and Stirnemann's "Back-up"-team, now jumped from 9th to 5th overall, Schurter and Stirnemann moved to 2nd with a gap to Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of 1.42 min. Their closest rivals, Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, are now 33 sec behind on third. Andri Frischknecht is the 2nd youngest ever stage winner in the history of the race.
"We never ride with a plan - we just like to ride," said Schurter. "Today it worked out very well for both our teams, so that's fantastic. The last big climb was terrible, very sandy, but both our teams seemed to manage it best and we were able to get away. I am extremely proud to celebrate such a great victory with this incredible team."
Andri Frischknecht was thrilled with the result. "We are very happy and very surprised. When we looked at the stage - 112km - our main aim was just to survive. But this stage win is amazing. Riding with Nino and Matthias was great motivation. We stayed with a big group for most of the race, when we managed the last sandy climb quite well, we started to think that we could take the stage. It was horrible up the climb, but we made it!" Van der Heijden adds: "It's great to win a stage at this amazing race, especially when racing it the very first time."
Jenny Rissveds and Thomas Frischknecht keep dominating the Mixed Category. The SCOTT-SRAM Next Level team have won the fifth consecutive day, even extending their comfortable lead by 25 min. Both Rissveds and Frischknecht have tightened their grip on the Mixed category with another stage and are nearly 25 minutes ahead of Grant Usher and Amy Beth McDougall. It is Rissveds' first Absa Cape Epic and she is clearly enjoying the experience: "Another long and demanding stage in the books. But we're fit and all went well. The biggest challenge is just ahead with tomorrow's Queen stage, so the entire team has an intense afternoon of active regeneration ahead."